TeamBath's assistant coach Ivor Powell has won a place in the Guinness Book of Records for his role as the world's oldest working football coach.

The former Welsh international heard the news as he celebrated his 90th birthday at a surprise party with students and staff at Bath University.

At his playing peak, Ivor set a record transfer fee for a halfback of £17,500 when he moved to Aston Villa in 1948.

In 2004 he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.

When asked what the secret was to his long working life he replied: "I've got no secret whatsoever.

"All I'm concerned about are the same characteristics I had when I was doing in football which were aggression, determination, the will to win, the work rate and consistency of performances."

Born on 5 July 1916 in south Wales, the seventh son of a seventh son, he started his working life down the mines and was spotted by Queen's Park Rangers playing for South Wales League side Bargoed aged 17.

He worked as an RAF physical trainer during the Second World War when he struck up a lasting friendship with the legendary footballer Sir Stanley Matthews, who went on to be Ivor's best man at his wedding to Joan Browell in 1943.

Ivor and Sir Stanley played in the same side at Blackpool.

Ivor played for Wales 14 times and had stints as player/coach at Port Vale and Bradford City.

He was one of Bill Shankly's successors as manager at Carlisle and was trainer/coach to Don Revie's Leeds United side, where he worked with the likes of Billy Bremner, Jackie Charlton and Norman Hunter.

He had spells coaching at Bath City and also with PAOK in Greece, before joining the University of Bath as football coach in the early 1970s.

He currently plays a full role in coaching the university side TeamBath FC.